Saturday, November 22, 2008

Sainsbury's public inquiry won't start until mid or late March!

Disappointment for anyone who was expecting a speedy start and a quick conclusion to the inquiry. From the agenda for the pre-inquiry meeting to be held on the 1oth December, it seems that the Reporter intends for things to kick off almost three months into the new year. The Gurn urges all supporters of this project to prepare for this inquiry. Maybe when it does eventually start we should have a demonstration to show our support for this project - well it's more than that, yes it is Sainsbury's application but it is our fundamental demand for the shopping facilities that other towns of our size take for granted. Our demand not to have to travel on the dangerous, overcrowded A96 in search of a decent choice of food. If ,for any reason, this inquiry was to find against the wishes of the people of Nairn, then it would be the biggest scandal for a generation.

Sorry if the picture is a little small but hopefully you can make out the full agenda

8 comments:

Life of Bwian
said...

With the prospect of protest groups starting up in Nairn for and against Sainburys might I suggest Nairnites join one that suits there Sainsburys persuasion? Here is a list of potential groups formed so far

Sainsburys in Nairn - SINThis is a group who would like Sainsburys to come to Nairn but don’t mind as to where it is built

Sainsburys, happiness in town - SHITMovement who would would like a town centre option

Sainsburys in Nairn, But in Nairn - SINBINSimilar to the SHIT group but different

Sainsburys Out East - SOENIMBY type group who don’t want it built in the West end

Sainsburys on Balmakeith - SOBLike the SOE bunch but want Sainsburys in a specific place not next to where they live

Sainsburys Way A96 Thanks - SWATOn A96 group

Not in Nairn Yet - NINY For folk who aren’t sure about anything

Lidl in Nairn - LIDSays it all

Please note that any of these organisations may hold a database containing your details which once you join they might lose, and who knows who might find it?

March next year might seem a long time in the future but, in the grand scheme of public enquiries, I would have thought it was quite 'prompt'.

But protesting , on behalf of a property developer and a national supermarket operator? Bit right wing , isn't it? I seem to remember it didn't do much good in keeping the Harbour Street Post Office open.

Anyone thinking that their submissions to this enquiry, whether against or in favour, is going to make the slightest difference to the outcome, has illusions of granduer.

Another couple of groups, to add to the list.

SOTS - Sold out to Sainsbury's

SIRC - Should I really care, a group now merged with the faction previously known as the NCTSA (No cash to spend anyway)

WRGAT - who really gives a toss (also know as the PM, or passive majority. Bottom line is, regardless of how much noise is made here, or anywhere else, an overwhelming proportion of the town's population fall into this category)

Reading (In the Gurn) the figures for the number of Nairnites already traveling to Forres for their shopping, and of the proposed new retail park for Forres I reckon we will be lucky if we see any new supermarket being built in Nairn. Given a choice of Nairn or Forres surely any major developer is going to opt for Forres as 1) They really are wanted and won’t have to go through hoops re planning 2) They will still attract a large proportion of Nairn folk anyway as well as the residents of Forres.I can see that Forres will become a bit of a shopping mecca like Inverness for Nairnites and with the likelihood of Woolies closing on our High street what will become of remaining businesses? Scotrail should get on the case now with a regular Forres shuttle service

Even with this proposed development, it would/could never be a mecca, for fairly fundemental reasons.

At the moment, we are all well aware of the lack of decent supermarket facilities in Nairn. As a result, many people, wanting to shop for food, go to Forres or Inverness. For more general shopping 'trips' though, folks will always go to Inverness, based on the convenient scientific fact that its greater mass exerts a greater gravitional force.

It creates a similar, though slightly reduced attraction, to people from Forres, in preference to Elgin, just because its size.

Same thing happens around Stirling, Aberdeen, Newcastle etc......

It really doesn't matter what developments are built in Nairn, or Forres - people will always travel to Inverness.

It has to be accepted that a better supermarket in Nairn would increase the proportion of people carrying out their main food shop here - but you could hand £5 notes out in Nairn High Street & you won't stop folks travelling to the big 'city' for that 'big' city buzz ( touch of irony there just incase you didn't notice)

Nairn will most likely get an edge of town supermarket, and an improved facility in the town, even if it isn't one of our first choice - but these will only address food shopping leakage. The likelihood of survival of many retailers in the town depends more on their ability to attract custom from outwith it. Specifically those living closer to, and jaded with, the painful monotony fighting their way into and back out of the Highland capital.

Sorry Spurtle but to my mind Forres is already a shopping mecca compared to Nairn. Tesco, Lidl, and the Co-op for food, and a High st that seems positively thriving compared to ours in Nairn.A new development in Foress will only underline this for me especially as in Nairn we can only look forward to one new supermarket (Maybe) and the Co-op being forced to put the Somerfield store on the market. I have no-idea if they will be allowed to keep it open or for how long for during this process.Looks like the Co-op could become the new Nairn hub as we line the the streets to get through the door and hope there is still some food left inside, and no pick and mix to munch on whilst we are waiting. Maybe Tilda would like to open a Nairn food store - I have a name already for her: Field of Dreams

Forres supermarkets are great places to bump into friends from Nairn and catch up on the latest gossip, a lot of us bump into friends from Forres too and then maybe go up the High Street for a snack/lunch etc. Tescos and Lidl in Forres are de facto the new Nairn High Street.If only they weren't ten miles away on a crap road!

Well I believe there is a theory of urban planning that the people of any given town will get the shops they deserve, so , it's up to us to support Nairn High Street when we can.

Inevitably , it will be those who are first to abandon the High street in favour of elsewhere, that will be the first to complain when they can't pop up the town and buy a tin of varnish or a cream cake, or preferably two cream cakes.

I think salvation may be within sight though. It would appear that Nairn is to become an international centre for belly dancing. The P+J notes that, during the upcoming Nairnia celebrations, once again belly dancing will somehow be shoehorned into the proceedings.

Now, it could be just me but I often find myself speculating how many disparate events in the town can have belly dancing bolted to them.

Can we look forward to our empty High Street shops becoming studios, for those wishing to perfect their belly dancing technique, and do rumours of a Turkish coffee house have some foundation? :)